Inspired by Sheryl Sandberg? Start Your Own Lean In Circle

Inspired to start your own Lean In Circle? Go to LeanIn.org/Circles for everything you'll need. (Lean In will provide the tools for anyone—or any company—to create a Circle and find peers to participate in it.) And keep these simple rules in mind.

Mar 8, 2013

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CHOOSE MEMBERS WISELY. Pick people who are committed to supporting the success of all members, like women (or men--they can join too) who are in similar stages of their careers. Your boss, clients, or people who could be up for the same job as you won't work as well.

DEFINE A SHARED VISION. Before you get started, create a manifesto that states your reasons for forming the Circle and what you all hope to get out of it. Do you want to learn how to address tricky situations at work? Live up to your career potential? Write it down.

MAKE IT TO THE MEETINGS. Decide on a commitment agreement (such as, members can't miss more than two meetings per year), then expect everyone to stick to it. To get the most out of a Lean In Circle, every member needs to be present, literally and figuratively.

KEEP THINGS CONFIDENTIAL. What happens in the Circle stays in the Circle! Members should be able to speak freely and know that no one will spill their secrets. (We're giving you a peek into how a Lean In Circle works, so Cosmo's Circle was only partially confidential.)

SHARE EXPERIENCES, NOT ADVICE. The Circle isn't the place to advise another member on how to handle her difficult boss. Rather, let her share her situation, then other members can share similar experiences if they've had them. You want to learn from each other, not mentor.

YOUR PERSONAL WORKBOOK

Take a few minutes to answer each of the following questions to assess where you are and where you want to be, then become a member of the Lean In community!

Write down a time when you leaned in at work. How did it feel, and what was the result?

Write down a time that you leaned back at work. Would you do anything differently now? If so, what?

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Do you have a mentor or support system to help you work through challenges at work?

Have you ever asked for a raise or promotion?

Write down one career goal you'd like to accomplish this year. It can be short-term, like working on a specific project, or long-term, such as plotting your course to get a new job.

Tune in to watch videos on these topics and more, plus find discussion questions for your Circle created by professors at top universities. Think of it as intensive career coaching--at your own pace, in your own home.